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Annual Lottery/Licensing Statistics Overviews

2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016


2023 Lotteries/Licensing Statistics

The number of deer gun licenses made available to hunters over time:

  • 2016 – 49,000 deer gun licenses
  • 2017 – 54,500 deer gun licenses
  • 2018 – 55,150 deer gun licenses
  • 2019 – 65,500 deer gun licenses
  • 2020 – 69,050 deer gun licenses
  • 2021 – 72,200 deer gun licenses
  • 2022 – 64,200 deer gun licenses
  • 2023 – 53,400 deer gun licenses

After 11,810 resident gratis licenses and 534 nonresident licenses were subtracted from the overall license allocation, just 21,460 buck licenses were available for the 61,914 hunters who applied for them as their first choice in the lottery.

2023 Lottery Stats

Deer

  • 75,117 – Number of people – not including 12,085 gratis applicants – who applied for deer gun lottery licenses, down from 76,783 in 2022.
  • 42.65 – Percent of successful applicants, excluding gratis and nonresidents, for deer gun and muzzleloader licenses.
  • 20 – Maximum number of bonus points for any applicant (nonresident mule deer buck applicants).
  • 12,520 – Applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 13.74 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 53.35 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points who applied for a muzzleloader buck license.

Turkey

  • 7,412 – Number of spring turkey licenses available to hunters, down from 7,647 in 2022.
  • 84.6 – Percent of successful applicants for the spring season.
  • 81.8 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the spring season.
  • 4,435 – Number of fall turkey licenses available, up from 3,975 in 2022.
  • 72.3 – Percent of successful applicants for the fall season.
  • 70.8 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the fall season.

Pronghorn

  • 8 – Number of hunting units open in a limited pronghorn season.
  • 420 – Number of licenses available to hunters, down 1,550 from 2022.
  • 9,375 – Number of people who applied for available licenses, down 6,306 from 2022.

2022 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

2021-22 Licenses and Permits Issued

Type

Resident

Nonresident

Individual Fishing

43,936

18,428

Married Couple Fishing

12,069

6,076

Senior Citizen Fishing

14,799

 

Disabled Fishing

285

 

Short-Term Fishing 10-Day

 

7,766

Short-Term Fishing 3-Day

 

25,735

Paddlefish Tags

2,811

631

Commercial Tags

10

 

Retail Bait Vendor

220

 

Wholesale Bait Vendor

32

3

Fish Hatchery

2

 

2021 Boat Registrations (First year of 3-year decal)

10,895

 

General Game Hunting

42,802

41,282

Small Game Hunting

12,724

21,209

Combination License

63,801

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

23,062

Furbearer Hunting/Trapping

6,564

2,716

Fur Buyer

26

8

Deer Gun Hunting

54,662

716

Deer Gun Hunting (Gratis)

11,803

301

Deer Bowhunting

26,238

3,501

Moose Hunting

401

 

Moose Hunting (Preferential Landowner)

68

 

Elk Hunting

445

 

Elk Hunting (Preferential Landowner)

88

 

Turkey Hunting (Spring)

7,266

 

Turkey Hunting (Fall)

3,550

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Spring)

568

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Fall)

306

 

Habitat Stamp

106,603

 

Shooting Preserve

12

 

Fishing/Hunting Guide

308

53

Taxidermist

287

7

Falconry

4

 

Scientific Collector

28

34

Swan

1,413

787

Sandhill Crane

2,581

2,316

2022 Special Big Game Licenses

Type

Licenses Available

Applications Received

Moose

400

26,038

Elk

559

23,427

Bighorn Sheep

5

19,423

Financial Statement - July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022

Type

Amount

Income

$38,789,812

Expenses

$38,366,692

Fund Balances, Fixed Assets and Long-term Debt

Type

Amount

Game and Fish General Fund

$29,175,265

Habitat and Depredation Fund

$4,165,907

Nongame Wildlife Fund

$145,921

Aquatic Nuisance Species Program

$110,205

TOTAL ALL FUNDS

$33,597,299

FIXED ASSETS

$58,207,479

DEPARTMENT NET WORTH

$91,804,777

Other

  • 2,639 Number of sharptailed grouse counted on spring dancing grounds, down from 3,281 in 2021.
  • 22% The decline in roosters heard crowing during the Department’s spring pheasant crowing count compared to 2021.
  • 800,000 Approximate number of PLOTS acres on the landscape in 2022.
  • 81,000 Number of Canada geese counted during the Department's midwinter waterfowl survey.
  • 7.4 million Number of private land acres electronically posted.
  • 1.8 million Approximate number of chinook salmon eggs collected during the Department's annual salmon spawn.
  • 60 lbs. 8 oz Weight of new bow/spear state record buffalo taken by Mitch Estabrook from Heart Butte Reservoir.
  • 70 million Approximate number of walleye eggs collected in spring, surpassing the goal of 58 million eggs

2021 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

The number of deer gun licenses made available to hunters increased again in 2021:

  • 2016 – 49,000 deer gun licenses.
  • 2017 – 54,500 deer gun licenses.
  • 2018 – 55,150 deer gun licenses.
  • 2019 – 65,500 deer gun licenses.
  • 2020 – 69,050 deer gun licenses.
  • 2021 – 72,200 deer gun licenses.

Drawing a buck license in 2021 was, like most years, not easy. Randy Meissner, Game and Fish Department licensing manager, said after 11,811 resident gratis licenses and 722 nonresident licenses were subtracted from the overall license allocation, just 31,160 buck licenses were available for the 66,591 hunters who applied for them as their first choice in the lottery.

2021 LOTTERY STATS

DEER

  • 79,857 – Number of people – not including 12,113 gratis applicants – who applied for deer gun lottery licenses, down from 79,999 in 2020.
  • 52.98 – Percent of successful applicants, excluding gratis and nonresidents, for deer gun and muzzleloader licenses.
  • 19 – Maximum number of bonus points for any applicant (nonresident mule deer buck applicants).
  • 12,636 – Applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 13.59 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 50.83 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points who applied for a muzzleloader buck license.

TURKEY

  • 7,012 – Number of spring turkey licenses available to hunters, up from 6,237 in 2020.
  • 76.5 – Percent of successful applicants for the spring season.
  • 74.2 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the spring season.
  • 3,825 – Number of fall turkey licenses available, up from 3,785 in 2020.
  • 69.8 – Percent of successful applicants for the fall season.
  • 65.7 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the fall season.

PRONGHORN

  • 15 – Number of hunting units open in a limited pronghorn season.
  • 1,720 – Number of licenses available to hunters, down 75 from 2020.
  • 15,405 – Number of people who applied for available licenses, up 86 from 2020.

2020 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

  • 780 – Number of any-deer bow licenses made available to nonresidents.
  • 1,200 – The approximate number of students, at the time of publication, who completed the written and practical portions of the Department’s hunter education program, which was adjusted to meet the demands of students during the pandemic.
  • 2,364 – Number of mule deer counted during the Department’s spring survey, indicating a 7% population increase from 2019.
  • 10,000 – Estimated number of mussels collected below Kathryn Dam on the Sheyenne River. The collected mussels were relocated elsewhere in the river because it was feared that work being done to the dam would be detrimental to the population.
  • 90,000 – Estimated number of Canada geese counted during the Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey.
  • 170,000 – Number of advanced walleye fingerlings stocked in state waters.
  • 800,000 – Approximate number of PLOTS acres made available to hunters.
  • 2.1 million – Number of chinook salmon eggs collected during the Department’s salmon spawning operation in fall on the Missouri River System.

2020 Lottery Stats

Deer

  • 79,999 – Number of people – not including 12,130 gratis applicants – who applied for deer gun lottery licenses, up from 78,582 in 2019.
  • 53.11 – Percent of successful applicants, excluding gratis and nonresidents, for deer gun and muzzleloader licenses.
  • 18 – Maximum number of bonus points for any applicant (nonresident mule deer buck applicants).
  • 12,446 – Applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 13 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • 44.66 – Percent of applicants with four or more bonus points who applied for a muzzleloader buck license.

Turkey

  • 6,237 – Number of spring turkey licenses available to hunters, up from 5,662 in 2019.
  • 76.2 – Percent of successful applicants for the spring season.
  • 73 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the spring season.
  • 3,785 – Number of fall turkey licenses available, up from 3,660 in 2019.
  • 73.8 – Percent of successful applicants for the fall season.
  • 68.8 – Percent of applicants who received their first license choice for the fall season.

Pronghorn

  • 15 – Number of hunting units open in a limited pronghorn season.
  • 1,795 – Number of licenses available to hunters, up 460 from 2019.
  • 15,319 – Number of people who applied for available licenses, up 2,391 from 2019.

2020 Lottery Notes

For the fifth year in a row, the number of deer gun licenses made available to hunters increased in 2020.

Here’s a quick look:

  • 2016 – 49,000 deer gun licenses.
  • 2017 – 54,500 deer gun licenses.
  • 2018 – 55,150 deer gun licenses.
  • 2019 – 65,500 deer gun licenses.
  • 2020 – 69,050 deer gun licenses.

Drawing a buck license in 2020 was, like most years, not easy. Randy Meissner, Game and Fish Department licensing manager, said after 11,845 resident gratis licenses and 690 nonresident licenses were subtracted from the overall license allocation, just 28,598 buck licenses were available for the 67,665 hunters who applied for them as their first choice in the lottery.

For the seventh year in a row, following hard winters that significantly impacted the state’s population, Game and Fish made available 1,795 pronghorn licenses in 2020, or 460 more than 2019.

Fifteen pronghorn hunting units were open in 2020, three more than 2019.

2019-20 LICENSES AND PERMITS ISSUED
 

Resident

Nonresident

Individual Fishing

46,626

19,318

Married Couple Fishing

13,370

5,660

Senior Citizen Fishing

12,396

 

Disabled Fishing

268

 

Short-Term Fishing

  

10-Day

 

7,283

3-Day

 

26,235

Paddlefish Tags

2,477

688

Commercial Tags

9

 

Retail Bait Vendor

229

 

Wholesale Bait Vendor

30

4

Fish Hatchery

4

 

2019 Boat Registrations

7,348

 

(Third year of 3-year decal)

  

General Game Hunting

41,257

36,660

Small Game Hunting

13,726

18,128

Combination License

58,097

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

20,733

Furbearer Hunting/Trapping

8,463

2,753

Fur Buyer

28

10

Deer Gun Hunting

52,347

571

Deer Gun Hunting (Gratis)

11,981

292

Deer Bowhunting

24,902

2,687

Moose Hunting

406

 

Moose Hunting

69

 

(Preferential Landowner)

  

Elk Hunting

405

 

Elk Hunting

83

 

(Preferential Landowner)

  

Turkey Hunting (Spring)

6,085

 

Turkey Hunting (Fall)

3,450

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Spring)

413

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Fall)

210

 

Habitat Stamp

94,966

 

Shooting Preserve

11

 

Fishing/Hunting Guide

281

34

Taxidermist

279

4

Falconry

3

 

Scientific Collector

30

30

Swan

1,624

1,076

Sandhill Crane

2,284

1,555

2020 Special Big Game Licenses

 

Licenses Available

Applications Received

Moose

470

24,027

Elk

532

21,069

Bighorn Sheep

5

16,935


2019 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

  • 29 – Number of male sage grouse counted on eight leks in spring, up 7% from 2018.
  • 90 – Number of elk captured and fitted with GPS collars as part of a study to better understand elk distribution and movements in the badlands.
  • 600 – Approximate number of hunters who successfully drew a deer license but, as required by state law, did not purchase a general game and habitat license.
  • 820 – The record number of archers who competed in the North Dakota National Archery in Schools program state bull’s-eye tournament in Minot.
  • 2,000 – Approximate number of walleyes tagged by Department fisheries biologists in Alkaline Lake in Kidder County as part of a one-year study.
  • 3,000 – Approximate number of walleyes tagged by Department fisheries biologists in Lake Sakakawea as part of a four-year study.
  • 14,000 – Approximate number of trout, pike and catfish stocked by Department fisheries personnel in dozens of community fisheries around the state in spring.
  • 78,000 – Approximate number of hunters, not including 13,500 gratis applicants, who applied for 64,500 deer gun lottery licenses.
  • 99,000 – Estimated number of Canada geese counted during the Department’s annual mid-winter waterfowl survey.
  • 791,000 – Number of Private Land Open To Sportsmen acres made available to hunters for the fall hunting season.
2018-2019 Licenses and Permits Issued
 

Resident

Nonresident

Individual Fishing

49,826

19,207

Married Couple Fishing

14,389

5,531

Senior Citizen Fishing

12,387

 

Disabled Fishing

260

 

Short-Term Fishing

  

   10-Day

 

7,028

   3-Day

 

25,204

Paddlefish Tags

2,769

725

Commercial Tags

8

 

Retail Bait Vendor

257

 

Wholesale Bait Vendor

36

4

Fish Hatchery

4

 

2018 Boat Registrations

8,461

 

  (Second year of 3-year decal)

  

General Game Hunting

41,375

38,086

Small Game Hunting

15,488

19,704

Combination License

56,148

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

21,392

Furbearer Hunting/Trapping

9,589

2,970

Fur Buyer

28

9

Deer Gun Hunting

41,068

343

Deer Gun Hunting (Gratis)

13,098

277

Deer Bowhunting

26,318

2,506

Moose Hunting

283

 

Moose Hunting

47

 

  (Preferential Landowner)

  

Elk Hunting

346

 

Elk Hunting

72

 

  (Preferential Landowner)

  

Turkey Hunting (Spring)

5,412

 

Turkey Hunting (Fall)

3,148

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Spring)

394

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Fall)

173

 

Habitat Stamp

79,461

 

Shooting Preserve

13

 

Fishing/Hunting Guide

273

35

Taxidermist

238

1

Falconry

2

 

Scientific Collector

32

17

Swan

1,543

1,157

Sandhill Crane

2,364

1,741

2019 Special Big Game Licenses

 

Licenses Available

Applications Received

Moose

475

22,456

Elk

489

19,290

Bighorn Sheep

4

15,520


2018 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

2018 Figures

Count

Description

3

Number of bighorn sheep licenses allocated to hunters, two fewer than 2017.

10

Number of pronghorn hunting units open in 2018, five more than 2017. Pronghorn hunting seasons were closed 2010-13 as animal numbers drastically declined following severe winters.

15 pounds, 13 ounces

The weight of the new state record walleye caught May 18 in the Missouri River.

24

Age of the oldest known walleye ever taken from Lake Sakakawea. Department fisheries biologists confirmed its age in 2018 by counting the age rings on a magnified image of an otolith, or ear bone.

29 pounds, 2 ounces

Weight of the biggest northern pike fisheries biologists tagged in the Missouri River System in 2018 as part of an ongoing study to determine how anglers utilize trophy fish. The big female pike measured 44.5 inches long.

30

The percentage decline in the state’s spring pheasant population index compared to 2017.

39

Number of sage grouse captured in Wyoming, fitted with tracking devices and released in southwestern North Dakota, in an ongoing effort to bolster a fading grouse population in the state.

450

Approximate number of fishing waters in North Dakota that have public access and some degree of management by Department fisheries biologists.

600

Number of student archers who competed in the North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program in Minot. A record 750 students registered for the event, but a spring snowstorm kept some from attending.

2,540

Number of mule deer counted during the Department’s spring survey. Survey results were 45 percent above the long-term average.

11,000

Number of hunters who applied for 1,075 pronghorn licenses in 10 hunting units.

55,150

Number of deer gun licenses made available to hunters, up 650 licenses from 2017.

135,000

Estimated number of Canada geese counted during the Department’s annual midwinter waterfowl survey.

762,000

Approximate number of Private Land Open To Sportsmen acres available for the fall hunting season.

2.2 million

Number of salmon eggs collected by fisheries crews. The majority of the eggs were collected from salmon from Lake Sakakawea.

10 million

Estimated number of walleye fingerlings stocked in 140 waters across the state.

2017-18 LICENSES AND PERMITS ISSUED

Type

Resident

Nonresident

Individual Fishing

53,821

19,093

Husband/Wife Fishing

14,676

5,277

Senior Citizen Fishing

12,501

 

Disabled Fishing

285

 

Short-Term Fishing

   10-Day

 

7,649

   3-Day

 

25,702

Paddlefish Tags

2,719

707

Commercial Tags

17

 

Retail Bait Vendor

302

 

Wholesale Bait Vendor

36

8

Fish Hatchery

4

 

2017 Boat Registrations (First year of 3-year decal)

59,048

General Hunting

37,995

37,243

Small Game Hunting

15,243

19,255

Combination License

55,954

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

20,770

Furbearer Hunting/Trapping

10,721

3,153

Fur Buyer

36

9

Deer Gun Hunting

40,438

300

Deer Gun Hunting (Gratis)

13,402

264

Deer Bowhunting

26,109

2,367

Moose Hunting

210

 

Moose Hunting (Preferential Landowner)

35

Elk Hunting

328

 

Elk Hunting (Preferential Landowner)

71

Turkey Hunting (Spring)

5,457

 

Turkey Hunting (Fall)

3,303

26

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Spring)

324

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Fall)

195

 

Habitat Stamp

75,039

 

Shooting Preserve

10

 

Fishing/Hunting Guide

273

31

Taxidermist

226

9

Falconry

8

 

Scientific Collector

34

18

Swan

1,601

1,099

Sandhill Crane

2,262

1,745

2018 SPECIAL BIG GAME LICENSES

 

LICENSES AVAILABLE

APPLICATIONS RECEIVED

Moose

330

21,041

Elk

404

18,082

Bighorn Sheep

3

14,615


2017 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

2016-17 Licenses and Permits Issued
 

Resident

Nonresident

Individual Fishing

54,534

18,731

Husband/Wife Fishing

13,904

5,099

Senior Citizen Fishing

12,064

 

Disabled Fishing

308

 

Short-Term Fishing

  

   10-Day

 

7,267

   3-Day

 

24,796

Paddlefish Tags

2,700

651

Commercial Tags

17

 

Retail Bait Vendor

291

 

Wholesale Bait Vendor

32

7

Fish Hatchery

4

 

2016 Boat Registrations

7,812

 

(Third year of 3-year decal)

  

General Hunting

38,749

45,866

Small Game Hunting

20,121

28,464

Combination License

57,262

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

23,024

Furbearer Hunting/Trapping

10,654

3,375

Fur Buyer

34

4

Deer Gun Hunting

34,970

175

Deer Gun Hunting (Gratis)

13,466

246

Deer Bowhunting

24,350

2,223

Moose Hunting

172

 

Moose Hunting

28

 

(Preferential Landowner)

  

Elk Hunting

287

 

Elk Hunting

61

 

(Preferential Landowner)

  

Turkey Hunting (Spring)

5,584

 

Turkey Hunting (Fall)

3,244

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Spring)

314

 

Turkey Hunting (Gratis Fall)

249

 

Habitat Stamp

84,635

 

Shooting Preserve

10

 

Fishing/Hunting Guide

270

28

Taxidermist

219

 

Falconry

4

 

Scientific Collector

36

16

Swan

1,302

897

Sandhill Crane

2,049

1,923

2017 Special Big Game Licenses
 

Licenses Available

Applications Received

Moose

245

18,432

Elk

399

15,902

Bighorn Sheep

5

13,215


2016 Lotteries/Licensing Overview

  • 49,000 deer licenses were available, up from 43,275 in 2015.
  • 74,179 people applied for deer gun season licenses, up from 69,791 in 2015.
  • 63,379 applicants applied for buck licenses as their first choice; 19,818 buck licenses were available in the drawing after 12,684 gratis and 485 nonresident licenses were withheld.
  • Mule deer doe licenses were available for the first time in five years in three hunting units in the badlands.
  • The highest number of bonus points accumulated by any hunter in the 2016 deer drawing was 14.
  • Applicants who applied for a mule deer buck license accounted for nearly 24 percent of applicants with four or more bonus points.
  • About 7 percent of applicants with four or more bonus points applied for a muzzleloader buck license.
  • A buck license in unit 2E was the most difficult license to draw. The second most difficult was a buck license in unit 3C.
  • The number of spring turkey licenses (5,815) available to hunters in 2016 was the same as 2015. The number of applicants decreased from 5,880 in 2015 to 5,601 in 2016.
  • The number of fall turkey licenses available decreased from 3,655 in 2015 to 3,510 in 2016. The number of applicants increased from 3,040 in 2015 to 3,078 in 2016.
  • A limited pronghorn season was offered for the third consecutive year, with 730 licenses, 320 more than 2015.